I’m a huge fan of ghost stories. Ever since I was a little girl I loved making up my own spooky tales as well as being told them by family and friends. I also watched “Goosebumps” and “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” religiously. Over the years, they’ve been copious amounts of ghost films that have come out – some great, some good, and some horrendously bad. When I first saw the trailer for IFC Midnight’s new chilling ghost story, THE HOUSEMAID, it instantly caught my attention. Was it one of my favorite horror films of 2018 so far, or was it the worst? Find out!

THE HOUSEMAID takes place in 1955 and centers around an orphaned Vietnamese woman who is looking for employment as a housemaid at a rubber plantation in French Indochina. In doing so, she unexpectedly falls in love with the landowner and unfortunately awakens the ghost of his sadistic, vengeful, dead wife. No one is safe anymore…

This film was a pleasant surprise and far exceeded my expectations. It delivered a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere with chillingly superb performances and a wickedly awesome twist that you won’t see coming.

First, I love films that take place in a different era. There’s something special about it and it sucks you in. It’s like time travel… ya know, without actually time traveling. You get to experience things that you wouldn’t have been able to before. That’s how I felt as I fell in love with this spooky yet gorgeous plantation. The scenery was beautiful.

As I previously mentioned, all the performances were superb in THE HOUSEMAID; however, Nhung Kate stole the show, hands down. She was extraordinary. I loved her transition from a shy, obedient, and frail young lady into a woman who speaks her minds, stands up for herself, and does what needs to be done.

Then there is that twist – holy shit I didn’t see that coming at all. Maybe I should have…but it never occurred to me, not once. I was engaged in the story, the beautiful plantation, and the bizarrely sweet love story that it completely threw me off. I loved it. It made it far more terrifying than any other ghost story I’ve seen in a while.

Overall, THE HOUSEMAID is one of my top favorites from 2018 thus far. It delivers on all aspects and the twist is especially awesome. I love when films surprise me. THE HOUSEMAID will be in select theaters and VOD February 16, so make sure to check it out!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow Me

Tori Danielle

Co-Owner at PopHorror

Tori is a published author, co-owner of PopHorror.com, and lover all of things horror and macabre. She spends her days working at her full-time job and then coming home and spending endless hours writing for several sites. When she’s not working, she’s obsessing over everything Harry Potter and has officially received her invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is also producing several upcoming films including 13 Fanboy. If she was a Pokémon she would be Jigglypuff. You can follow her on Twitter @twistedtori87 and on Instagram @twistedtori87.

Follow Me

Latest posts by Tori Danielle (see all)

• [Short Film Review] PAMELA & IVY - June 22, 2020
• [Review] THE POSTCARD KILLINGS - May 18, 2020
• [Movie Review] A KNIGHT’S TOUR - May 13, 2020